Research In Motion’s next handset in early 2012 could help boost the smartphone maker back into the limelight against Apple’s iPhone and a myriad of Google Android handsets. The Boy Genius Report blog today shared details on RIM’s BlackBerry Colt, noting that it would be the first BlackBerry smartphone to run on the QNX platform. To meet the timeframe, BGR suggests the device may have older hardware components when compared to competing handsets, but that doesn’t sound plausible. The bigger issue is the amount of time it’s taking RIM to get its smartphone lineup transitioned to the new operating system.

According to BGR, the Colt will use a 1 GHz single-core processor at a time where many smartphones are already powered by dual-core chips; we’re also expecting the first quad-core smartphones right around the end of this year. Back in December, co-CEO Mike Lazaridis, went on record saying that QNX would come to smartphones with dual-core processors. And that’s a good thing: My experience with BlackBerry’s Playbook, which already runs QNX on a dual-core chip, shows peppy performance for browsing, multitasking, video playback and gaming.

Oddly, BGR is also reporting that the Colt may ship without BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES), which sounds strange at first. Then again, shipping the PlayBook without a native email client is just as strange (if not more so) and shows that the company is still tinkering with the new operating system it acquired in April of 201o. Far more important than the hardware choices is RIM making potential progress in the transition of QNX in handsets.

There’s no guarantee such a change will bring success and market share, but revamping the old BlackBerry operating system isn’t getting the job done. For all of its shortcomings, the PlayBook with QNX shows much more potential in terms of user experience and maturity. If RIM can reinvent the BlackBerry handset lineup with QNX, while attracting more developers, the Colt could be the first of many smartphones to help RIM get its mojo back. And the sooner that happens, the better; the company is quickly falling through the ranks of the top handset makers around the world.

From what I read is the reason they're putting Activesync support out of the box is that RIM currently doesn't have any support on the BES for QNX and this is why there is no native email app on the Playbook. They're planning on building a QNX only BES, but it won't be ready by the time this device is released. And I certainly hope that's not the case. A QNX only BES seems like a terrible idea. You would have to implement 2 BES servers, one for non-QNX devices and one for QNX devices. Seems like too much of a hassle.

__________________The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.When you take things for granted, the things you are granted, get taken. Even a mosquito doesn't get a pat on the back until it starts to work.Too many people miss the silver lining because they're expecting gold.[BES 5.0.3 / GroupWise 2012 HP2]

A hassle, and additional expense. I don't have any particular issues with simultaneous BES and non-BES versions of the device, but my world does revolve around BES and I would hate to think that I would have to stay on an older device indefinitely to have it .

__________________1st Step in Troubleshooting: Do you have a BlackBerry Data Plan?2nd Step in Troubleshooting: Pull the Battery.

Well, maybe some uses and company don't want to spend the money on BES. Activesync works fine and it comes standard on just about every mobile platform.

True, but what about the companies that already have BES implemented in their environment? There are still a lot of corporations that rely on BlackBerry and BES and RIM's missing out on their core base with this QNX device.

__________________The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.When you take things for granted, the things you are granted, get taken. Even a mosquito doesn't get a pat on the back until it starts to work.Too many people miss the silver lining because they're expecting gold.[BES 5.0.3 / GroupWise 2012 HP2]

True, but what about the companies that already have BES implemented in their environment? There are still a lot of corporations that rely on BlackBerry and BES and RIM's missing out on their core base with this QNX device.

If all the images I've seen are correct, I'm not interested in it. It looks like a Bold - why go to a smaller screen than the Torch? Am I missing something?

Why yes...you are. There are those who HATE touch screen devices such as the Torch. I don't like them. I want devices like the 9900...and not having to bother turning the device sideways to type while browsing, just so I can browse in landscape mode...

__________________
Steve (Besadmin)

Previously owned:
At least 17+ different BB's since 1999 -- too many to list...

So is there any chance that the 9930 will be able to update to this software later next year or are they going to make the Colt the only device capable of it until another new handset comes out after the Colt?

__________________
"You can't be truly free unless you have nothing to lose."